rs.inthebestfamelies-第26部分

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　　He　picked　up　his　glass；　drank；　and　eyed　me。　〃Well？〃
　　〃Arnold　Zeck；〃　I　said。
　　He　made　a　little　squeaking　noise；　went　stiff　for　a　short　count；　and　hurled　the　tall　glass　against　the　wall；　where　it　smacked　into　the　middle　of　the　glass　of　a　picture；　which　improved　the　effect　both　for　the　ear　and　for　the　eye。
　　
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　　I　ADMIT　I　was　on　my　feet　when　it　hit。　He　was　so　slapdash　that　there　was　no　certainty　about　his　target；　and　a　well…thrown　heavy　glass　can　make　a　bruise。
　　〃Now　look　what　you've　done；〃　I　said　reproachfully；　and　sat　down　again。
　　He　glared　at　me　a　second；　then　went　to　the　bar；　and　with　slow　precise　movements　of　his　hands　mixed　another　long　one。　I　was　pleased　to　note　that　the　proportion　of　whisky　was　the　same　as　before。　He　returned　to　his　chair　and　put　the　glass　down　without　drinking。
　　〃I　thought　so；　by　God；〃　he　said。
　　I　merely　nodded。
　　〃Who　hired　you？　Zeck　himself？〃
　　〃Not　in　the　contract；〃　I　objected　firmly。　〃You　bought　the　name；　and　you've　got　it。〃
　　〃I'm　in　the　market　for　more。　I'll　take　it　all。〃
　　I　frowned　at　him。　〃Now　I　guess　I'll　have　to　do　some　talking。　You　fortable？〃　〃No。〃
　　〃Listen　anyway。　I'm　taking　Zeck's　money　and　I'm　crossing　him。　How　do　you　know　I　won't　cross　you？〃
　　〃I　don't。　But　I'll　top　him。〃
　　〃That's　the　point　exactly；　you　don't。　Who　is　Zeck　and　who　are　you？　You　know　the　answer　to　that。　You　were　taking　his　money　too；　up　to　five　months　ago；　and　you　know　for　what。　When　your　wife　hired　Nero　Wolfe　to　take　the　lid　off　of　you　for　a　look；　you　yapped　to　Zeck　and　he　took　aim　at　Wolfe；　and　when　your　wife　got　it　with　that　steak　knife　Wolfe　took　a　powder；　and　for　all　I　know　he　is　now　in　Egypt；　where　he　owns　a　house；　talking　it　over　with　the　Sphinx。　It　was　Zeck　and　you；　between　you；　that　broke　up　our　happy　home　on　Thirty…fifth　Street；　and　you　can　have　three　guesses　how　I　feel　about　it。　I　may　like　it　fine　this　way；　with　my　own　office　and　my　time　my　own。　I　may　figure　to　work　close　to　Zeck　and　get　in　the　big　dough；　which　would　mean　I'm　poison　to　you；　or　I　may　be　loving　a　chance　to　stick　one　between　Zeck's　ribs　and　incidentally　get　a　nice　helping　from　your　pile；　or　I　may　even　be　kidding　both　of　you　along　with　the　loony　idea　of　trying　to　earn　the　ten　grand　your　wife　paid　Nero　Wolfe。　Zeck　can　guess　and　you　can　guess。　Do　I　make　myself　clear？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　Are　you　just　warning　me　not　to　trust　you？　Is　that　it？〃
　　〃Well；　yes。〃
　　〃Then　save　your　breath。　I've　never　trusted　anybody　since　I　started　shaving。　As　for　a　nice　helping　from　my　pile；　that　depends。　How　do　you　earn　it？〃
　　I　shrugged。　〃Maybe　I　don't　want　it。　Guess。　I　got　the　impression　that　I　have　something　you　want。〃
　　〃I　think　you　have。　Who　hired　you　and　what　were　you　told　to　do？〃
　　〃I　told　you；　Zeck。〃
　　〃Zeck　himself？〃
　　〃I　would　be　risking　my　neck　and　you　know　it。　Five　grand　now；　and　beyond　that　we　can　decide　as　we　go　along。〃
　　It　was　a　mistake；　though　not　fatal。　He　was　surprised。　I　should　have　made　it　ten。　He　said；　〃I　haven't　got　that　much　here。〃
　　〃Nut。　Send　downstairs　for　it。〃
　　He　hesitated　a　moment；　regarding　me；　then　got　up　and　went　to　a　phone　on　a　side　table。　It　occurred　to　me　that　it　would　be　of　no　advantage　for　a　clerk　or　assistant　manager　to　see　whose　presence　in　Rackham's　suite　required　the　delivery　of　so　much　cash；　so　I　asked　where　the　bathroom　was　and　went　there。　After　a　sufficient　interval　I　returned；　and　the　delivery　had　been　made。
　　〃I　said　I　don't　trust　anybody；〃　Rackham　told　me；　handing　me　the　engravings。　〃But　I　don't　like　to　be　gypped。〃
　　It　was　used　bills　this　time；　Cs　and　five…hundreds；　which　didn't　seem　up　to　the　Churchill's　standard　of　elegance。　To　show　Rackham　how　vulgar　it　was　not　to　trust　people；　I　stowed　it　away　without　counting　it。
　　〃What　do　you　want？〃　I　asked；　sitting。　〃Words　and　pictures？〃
　　〃I　can　ask　questions；　can't　I？〃
　　〃Sure；　that's　included。　I　have　not　yet　seen　Zeck　himself；　but　expect　to。
　　I　was　first　approached　by　Max　Christy。　He…〃
　　〃That　son　of　a　bitch。〃
　　〃Yeah？　Of　course　you're　prejudiced　now。　He　was　merely　scouting。　He　didn't　name　Zeck　and　he　didn't　name　you；　but　offered　good　pay　for　an　expert　tailing　job。　I　was　interested　enough　to　make　a　date　to　get　picked　up　on　the　street　that　night　by　a　man　in　a　car。　He　gave…〃
　　〃Not　Zeck。　He　wouldn't　show　like　that。〃
　　〃I　said　I　haven't　seen　Zeck。　He　gave　me　the　layout。　He　said　his　name　was　Roeder…around　fifty…〃
　　''Roeder？〃　Rackham　frowned。
　　〃So　he　said。　He　spelled　it…R…o…e…d…e…r。　Around　fifty；　brown　hair　slicked　back；　face　wrinkled　and　folded；　sharp　dark　eyes；　brown　pointed　beard　with　gray　in　it。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　him。〃
　　〃He　may　be　in　a　different　department　from　the　one　you　were　in。　He　did　name　Zeck。　He　said…〃
　　〃He　actually　named　Zeck？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃To　you？　That's　remarkable。　Why？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；　but　I　can　guess。　I　had　previously　been　tapped　by　Max　Christy；　some　time　ago；　and　I　think　they've　got　an　idea　that　I　may　have　it　in　me　to　work　up　to　an　executive　job…now　that　Nero　Wolfe　is　gone。　And　they　figure　I　must　know　that　Christy　plays　with　Brownie　Costigan；　and　that　Costigan　is　close　to　the　top；　so　why　not　mention　Zeck　to　me　to　make　it　glamorous？　Anyhow；　Roeder　did。　He　said　that　what　they　wanted　was　a　tail　on　you。　They　wanted　it　good　and　tight。　They　offered　extra　good　pay。　I　was　to　use　as　many　men　as　necessary。　I　took　the　job；　got　the　men；　and　we　started　a　week　ago　yesterday。　Christy　es　to　my　office　every　day　for　the　reports。　You　know　what's　been　in　them；　you　know　where　you've　been　and　what　you've　done。〃
　　Rackham　was　still　frowning。　〃That's　all　there　is　to　it？〃
　　〃That's　the　job　as　I　took　it　and　as　I've　handled　it。〃
　　〃You　weren't　told　why？〃
　　〃In　a　way　I　was。　I　gathered　that　they　think　you　might　be　a　bad　influence　on　the　District　Attorney；　and　they　want　to　be　sure　you　don't　start　associating　with　him。　If　you　do　they　would　probably　make　a　plaint。　I　suppose　you　know　what　their　idea　is　of　making　a　plaint。〃　The　frown　was　going。　〃You　say　you　gathered　that？〃
　　〃I　didn't　put　it　right。　I　was　told　that　in　so　many　words。〃
　　〃By　Roeder？〃
　　〃Yes。〃
　　The　frown　was　gone。　〃If　this　is　straight；　Goodwin；　I've　made　a　good　buy。〃
　　〃It's　straight　all　right；　but　don't　trust　me。　I　warned　you。　Those　are　the　facts；　but　you　can　have　a　guess　without　any　additional　charge　it　you　want　it。〃
　　〃A　guess　about　what？〃
　　〃About　them　and　you。　This　guess　is　why　I'm　here。　This　guess　is　why　I　went　into　that　bar　so　you　would　see　me；　and　followed　you　out　like　a　halfwit　to　give　you　a　chance　to　Hag　me。〃
　　〃Oh。　So　you　staged　this。〃
　　〃Certainly。　I　wanted　to　tell　you　about　this　guess；　and　if　you　were　in　a　mood　to　buy　something　first；　why　not？〃
　　He　looked　aloof。　〃Let's　have　the　guess；〃
　　〃Well…〃　I　considered。　〃It　really　is　a　guess；　but　with　a　background。　Do　you　want　the　background　first？〃
　　〃No；　the　guess。〃
　　〃Right。　That　Zeck　is　getting　set　to　frame　you　for　the　murder　of　your　wife。〃
　　I　think　Rackham　would　have　thrown　another　glass　if　he　had　happened　to　have　it　in　his　hand；　possibly　at　me　this　time。　His　blood　moved　fast。　The　color　came　up　in　his　neck　and　face；　and　he　sort　of　swelled　all　over；　then　his　jaw　clamped。
　　〃Go　on；〃　he　mumbled。
　　〃That's　all　the　guess　amounts　to。　Do　you　want　the　background？〃
　　He　didn't　answer。　I　went　on。　〃It　won't　cost　you　a　cent。　Take　the　way　I　was　approached。　If　it's　a　plain　tailing　job　with　no　frills；　why　all　the　folderol？　Why　couldn't　Christy　just　put　it　to　me？　And　why　pay　me　double　the　market　of　the　highest…priced　agencies？　Item。　If　Zeck　has　his　friends　at　White　Plains；　which　is　far　from　incredible；　and　if　the　current　furore　is　upsetting　their　stomachs；　there's　nothing　they　would　appreciate　more　than　having　their　toughest　unsolved　murder　case　wrapped　up　for　them。　Item。　Hiring　me　is　purely　defensive；　and　Zeck　and　his　staff　don't　function　that　way；　especially　not　when　the　enemy　is　a　former　colleague　and　they've　got　a　grudge。〃
　　I　shook　my　head。　〃I　can't　see　it　with　that　background。　But　listen　to　this。　Roeder　came　up　to　my　office　and　stayed　an　hour；　and　do　you　know　what　he　spent　most　of　it　doing？　Asking　me　questions　about　the　evening　of　April　eighth！　What　has　that　got　to　do　with　my　handling　a　tailing　job？　Nothing！　Why　should　they　be　interested　in　April　eighth　at　all？　I　think　they　brought　me　this　job；　at　double　pay；　just　to　start　a　conversation　with　me　and　soften　me　up。　It　has　already　been　hinted　that　Zeck　might　like　to　meet　me。　I　think　that　to　frame　you　for　murder　they've　got　to　have　first…hand　dope　from　someone　who　was　there；　and　I'm　elected。　I　think　they're　probably　sizing　me　up；　to　decide　whether　I'm　qualified　to　be　asked　to　remember　something　that　happened　that　night　which　has　slipped　my　mind　up　to　now；　at　a　nice　juicy　price。〃
　　I　turned　my　palms　up。　〃It's　just　a　guess。〃
　　He　still　had　nothing　to　say。　His　blood　had　apparently　eased　up　a　little。
　　He　was　staring　at　my　face；　but　I　doubted　if　he　was　seeing　it。
　　〃If　you　care　to　know　why　I　wanted　you　to　hear　it；〃　I　went　on；　〃you　can　have　that　too。　1　have　my　weak　spots；　and　one　of　them　is　my　professional　pride。　It　got　a　hard　blow　when　Nero　Wolfe　scooted　instead　of　staying　to　fight　it　out；　with　your　wife's　check　for　ten　grand　deposited　barely　in　time　to　get　through　before　she　was　croaked。　If　the　ten　grand　is　returned　to　her　estate；　who　gets　it？　You。　And　it　could　be　that　you　killed　her。　I　prefer　to　leave　it　where　it　is　and　earn　it。　Among　other　things；　she　was　killed　while　I　was　there；　and　I　helped　find　the　body。　That's　a　fine　goddam　mess　for　a　good　detective；　and　I　was　thinking　I　was　one。〃
　　He　found　his　tongue。　〃I　didn't　kill　her。　I　swear　to　you；　Goodwin；　I　didn't　kill　her。〃
　　〃Oh；　skip　it。　Whether　you　did　or　didn't；　not　only　do　I　not　want　to　help　frame　you；　I　don't　want　anyone　to　frame　anybody；　not　on　this　one。　I've　got　a　personal　interest　in　it。　I　intend　to　earn　that　ten　grand；　and　I　don't　want　Zeck　to　bitch　it　up　by　getting　you　burned；　even　if　you're　the　right　one；　on　a　fix。　Therefore　I　wanted　you　to　know　about　this。　As　I　told　you；　I　haven't　got　it　spelled　out；　it's　only　a　guess　with　background；　and　I　admit　it　may　be　a　bum　one。　What　do　you　think？　Am　I　hearing　noises？〃
　　Rackham　picked　up　his　drink；　which　hadn't　been　touched；　to